


Lost, But Not Alone

by AJPets



Category: Original Work
Genre: Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other, merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 11:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3808963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJPets/pseuds/AJPets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm horrible at summaries, but please read and critique. Um, there's a merman, if that helps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost, But Not Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Please have faith in me, I tried my best.

Bo peeked up over the edge of the rocky slate as best as he could, barely struggling under the heavy weight of his tail. The boy looked around, carefully surveying the surrounding waters and the desolate beach off to his left before pulling himself up onto the cool surface of the small, open ledge. The miniature cove was one of his recent discoveries. It was tiny compared to most, only about fifty meters across, more or less half a football field. The tiny bay was more rock than sand, once part of a small mountain that had long since crumbled down into what was now a steep hill. Since then, a small town had been built a few miles away. Some fishermen must have found this place a long time ago, thought they could catch something here and built a pier before realizing nothing lived in the blue waters, then left the pile of wood to rot. But it was the only attractive feature the place had, even if it was now just rotting posts and rickety planks, both of which threatened to break under the slightest pressure, barely qualifying as a landing.

 

Either way, the young merman hoisted himself up onto the cold stone, his stomach pressed against the hard floor and tail twisted awkwardly, flukes still dipping in the water. He grumbled under his breath before carefully flipping himself onto his back, the sleek, long appendage following the motion smoothly. The teen propped himself up on his elbows, sighing contently as he looked out over the cove and beyond to the open sea. Oh, how incredible it felt to be free, to explore the ocean whenever he wanted, to go on adventures whenever he felt like it. But how much sadder it was that he had no one to share his findings with.

 

The boy sighed and closed his eyes, taking in the salty ocean air, a familiar fragrance he'd slowly grown accustomed to after weeks by himself. For months, it only reminded him of the family he didn't have anymore, the parents he'd lost all too recently. It hurt to even think about how he'd gained such liberty, almost physically painful to put himself through the memories of the horrible ordeal, but they were the only one's that involved them, the only recent recollections he had of his family. It hurt even more to remember the times when they were happy, before everything began and his life took a turn for the worst. At least he didn't burst into tears at the immediate thought anymore, only after pondering about it for too long, but that rarely happened anymore. Though even now he couldn't tell the difference between his own tears and the salt water when they dried on his cheeks.

 

Bo squeezed his eyes shut tighter, letting his head loll back to stretch the stiff muscles, body wracked with tension over the past few days, the weight of his wet, matted hair pulling back on his head uncomfortably. Muttering under his breath, the boy used one of his hands to try and detangle the knotted mess, getting his fingers stuck rather than actually doing any good. He pulled his palm away grudgingly, letting the arm move to rest underneath him for support again. It had been ages since he'd last had a chance to at least trim the wild white tresses, not that it would matter, anyway. He'd probably butcher it to the point of resembling a mop more than anything.

 

A sudden loud creak automatically had his head whipping towards the sound, his long hair making a wet smack as it hit his shoulder. He stays immobile, completely still as the stone he was lounging on, body just as rigid. The entire time he'd known about the small bay, he'd never encountered any humans at all, never even seen any signs that people still actually knew of the place, found any evidence that it wasn't abandoned or forgotten. The teen felt all too tempted to escape into the safety of the water and swim out into the open sea, where he was guaranteed protection. After a few seconds of internal conflict, the idea was ultimately vetoed. Whoever it was would surely hear the splash of water and be alerted to his presence. He'd lived here for almost five months unnoticed by the locals and risking exposure was the last thing he needed. Just the thought of another ocean voyage was mentally exhausting, tail aching in memory of the soreness he'd felt for a week after the long trek just to get here.

 

Another groan of the decaying boards sent his train of thought into an abyss as deep as the brink. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, hear the dull thud as blood rushed past his ears, could practically see it in the pulse of his hand. His breathing was deep, but strained in an effort to try and keep quiet. Slowly, the figure tiptoed to the end of the dock with careful footfalls, picking the planks with the least amount of decomposition after what seemed to be much consideration, before taking an attentive step and finding that when it was sturdy enough, moving forward and starting the entire process over again. It was enough to drive him insane with suspense. The process probably took five minutes at the most, but the entire time, his body was high strung as a live wire, buzzing with anticipation, waiting for something to happen, anything at this point. When they reached the end of the pier, the person stood still and motionless, presumably staring out across the cove and to the sea beyond.

 

Everything was quiet and he didn't dare speak or move, barely even allowing himself to inhale , even when his lungs started to burn, screaming at him to breath. And that was the only thing he did. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so silent.

 

Then there was the sound of clicking tags and a bark, before a surprised gasp rung out belonging to the unidentified figure. The sudden disturbance in tranquility was enough to make him jump, tail smacking the water and sending ripples through the waves. It hadn't been that loud, but either way, Bo was positive he'd just given away his position. The boy throws caution to the wind and struggles to flop back into the currents, trying not to scratch the decorative fins that sprouted just a few inches past his hips. He was extremely aware of the small dorsal fin near the base of his tail, definitely not wanting to scrape it against the rock beneath him. The boy heard movement above him on the dock, but ignored it, sweat forming on his brow as he tried to get to the water as quickly as he could, causing more noise and a greater disturbance in the practically nonexistence waves. He'd managed to get about half his tail submerged when he heard the click of claws against stone and gravel spilling and plopping into the waves below before he sees it. The teen instinctually freezes.

 

To his left was a creature with a sleek snout and short fur, and a long thin tail that didn't quite seem to fit the monster. It was a pallet of white, grey, and varieties of brown, but to him all resembled mud. Short claws didn't look too intimidating, but the yellowed incisors flashing at him were a different story. The hair on the back of the beast's neck stood on end, ears pinned back against it's skull, and a continuous, unbroken snarl rang out and echoed in the tiny cave. He didn't dare break eye contact with the- the thing, staring it down the best he could even when his own arms threatened to give out beneath him, shaking as he grew tired of the twist in his shoulders and the bend of his wrists against the hard stone, trying not to wince as jagged pebbles pricked his palms. 

 

Every instinct he had told him to escape, flee and the fact the he was so close was maddening, his fin already submerged in the chilly water. His hips were only inches from the edge of the rock slab, just a little push forward and he could flop back into the waved below. I'd would definitely be painful, but he'd rather be a little bruised and sore than captured by a human, caged and treated like a pet. He'd rather die than go through something like that again.

 

The monster growls and prowls closer still, now an arm's length away, fangs bared and saliva dripping from it’s lips, soaking the fur all around the maw. He hisses when the beast gets too close for comfort, showing off his own pearly whites, sharp incisors catching the dim light and gleaming slightly, though they don't feel too impressive compared to his opponent’s. It’s still enough to make the creature hesitate, a look of uncertainty flashing in it’s eyes, but it doesn't back down the way he’d hoped, instead standing its ground and remaining motionless, lean muscles taut under the skin and proceeds to stare him into the ground. He hadn't noticed the eyes before, but now it's hard not to when they're seemingly boring into his skull. A dark, rich brown lines the edge of each pupil, the color so deep, it appears as though it were black, making the stare down much more intimidating. 

 

He's starting to think they'll stay this way forever, the ultimate staring contest until one of them kneels over from thirst or hunger, when the sound of cascading pebbles breaks their concentration and it must be the human finally coming to investigate. He doesn't plan to stick around long enough to say hello. The second the short creature turns away, momentarily distracted by the disruption, the young merman pushes off the stone slab as hard as he can, sending him crashing into the still water below. He catches a glimpse of dark skin just as his pursuer rounds the corner, then he’s being caught by the salty waves. For a moment it feels kinda like a slight irritation, then the sharp pain hits his arms, chest, and face as he flops forward, a little disoriented on his stomach, but swiftly righting himself. 

 

He doesn't waste any time looking back over his shoulder, swimming as fast as he can to the mouth of the bay, barely slowing down as the water gets shallower. There’s a distance splash behind him somewhere and he has to assume they’re still chasing after him, despite the fact that he’s about to escape, as if they don't see the open ocean right in front of him. He’s already crossed half the distance, slicing through the waves expertly and only moving faster as he gets closer to the open sea. His muscles are burning as if they were on fire, not entirely used to the sudden exertion and use of energy, but the rush of water as it surges past him makes him feel strong, powerful and he pushes harder as he streamlines towards the open water. He can practically-

 

He crashes abruptly, spitting sand and sea water as he tries to figure out what's just happened. Careful of his own claws, the teen wipes tiny grains from his eyes, trying not to panic as he investigates the situation. He's beached on a small sand bank, water lapping up either side of the dune, acting like a barrier between the cove and the ocean he desperately needs to get to. Looking up towards the glaring sun, he tries to pinpoint just how much time has passed, because it's way too early for low tide. He should have had another hour at least.But the waves are definitely lower than they were at midday and in his rush to leave, he hadn't even noticed the water's new shallow depth. 

He's stuck here indefinitely and doesn't have the time to drag his heavy tail through the sand. If only he'd paid attention to the time instead of sunbathing and splashing around like a child. An angry, distressed wail falls from his lips without him even realizing it, the sound shrill and ear splitting. Tears well up behind his eyes as the desperation and despair of his dilemma become apparent, but he refuses to let them fall, fingers curling into the wet sand as determination takes hold.

With a shaky breath, he attempts to haul himself closer towards the water's edge, growling in irritation at the small amount of traction the wet sand allowed. He could still hear the splashing behind him, but ignores it as much as he can, focusing on the painstaking task of dragging himself through the mud trap. He's barely moved an inch, a hard fought inch, when he hears the clatter of rocks on the shore and suddenly finds himself being spun onto his back, still clutching fistfuls of sand.

 

As soon as he's flipped over, Bo throws the handfuls at his attacker, closing his eyes against the backlash that hits his cheeks and forehead. He can feel a firm weight press down on his hips as he's straddled, held in place by the human's heavy weight. The gritty sand itches against his back and tail, but he's glad not to have landed on a rock, grateful his dorsal fin hadn't struck something nestled in the dune. He thrashed and bucked in an attempt to throw the savage off him, but the man held firm, planting his legs on either side of him. Growling, he lashes out, sharp nails aimed at his opponent's eyes and scarcely missing as the boy ducks his head back, looking shocked for a moment before his expression turns irritated and angry.

 

They struggle for a few more seconds before he finds his hands pinned, locked in a tight grip above his head. He twists and squirms in an attempt to break free, tail smacking the water violently as he struggles, gnashing his teeth as he tries to snap at the arm keeping him pinned. The look in his eyes is feral as he snarls, scowling in fury and baring his fangs. Even though the teen above him can’t be much older than him, he's still surprisingly strong, able to keep him held down with one hand and God, it's infuriating. 

 

A cool, sharp object is pressed to his neck and he freezes, knowing exactly what it is after having a blade pressed to his skin so many times before. Bo shudders and forces those memories back down, now is not the time to have a breakdown. He stays completely still, pliant under the attacker's hold and waits for his throat to be slit, the gush of blood down his collarbone. It wouldn't be the first time his blood tainted the water.

**Author's Note:**

> Just so you guys know, Bo's tail is more like a dolphin's not frilly and bright, just a boring grey.


End file.
